Holder for keys and the like



Dec. 3, 1963 A. K. BEY 3,112,638

HOLDER FOR KEYS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 26, 1962 INVENTOR.

AHMET l BEY ATTY.

United States Patent 3,112,638 HOLDER FOR KEYS AND TEE LEE Ahmet K. Bey,Chicago, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Monarch Tool 8;Machinery (30., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 26, 1962, Scr. No.175,779 6 Claims. (Cl. 70459) The instant invention relates to devicesfor holding keys and the like. Particularly, it relates to magneticdevices of the class described.

conventionally, keyholders comprise rings, chains or loops designed toretain the keys together. Frequently the requirement arises to remove aspecific key or keys from a holder, more often than others. Therequirement is best illustrated in connection with an individual whofrequently parks his car in a parking lot and is required to leave theignition key. Such person does not ordinarily care to leave theremainder of his keys, and desires to separate his ignition key from theremainder, if he normally keeps all of them together.

Because of the inconvenience of frequently hav'mg to separate a specifickey or keys from the group with which it is kept when using theconventional key chain or ring or the like, several devices of ratherrecent origin have been constructed to obviate the annoyance. One deviceof recent introduction has even been constructed which employs astructure relying on the principles of magnetic force.

In accordance with the instant invention, an improved device of thedescribed class is provided which also relies on the principles ofmagnetic force, but which constitutes an improvement over prior devicesby reason of the enhanced releasable gripping of the portion of thedevice holding the keys desired to be removed from the others thereof.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a construction ofthe class described in which a pair of waffle magnets are employed,together with a soft metallic magnetizable material in which one portionis removable from the other thereof.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the classdescribed having a housing or body in which there are a pair of wafflemagnets mounted in spaced relationship on a magnetizable magneticmaterial which reinforces and strengthens the magnetic fields created bythe magnets and having fixed on one face of one of the magnets a firstmember fabricated from magnetizable material which strongly attracts alike member oppositely magnetized to the first member, whereby such likemember may be gripped and removed by pulling force With the like memberhaving connected thereto a key or keys desired to be removed or separatefrom the remainder of the device.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description and appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and numerals of reference thereon.

On the drawings: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of anentire device.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of I FIG. 1 and lookingin the direction of the arrows.

3,112,638 Patented Dec. 3, 1963 11 and 12. The housing may be fabricatedof any suitable material apparent to those skilled in the art.

A frame, generally designated as 13, is provided. The frame 13 shown isrectangular in cross section and is provided with small extensions 14and 15 which conform with the contour of the rounded portion 16 of thehousing 18 to the end that the frame 13 fits snugly in said housing 1%),wherein said frame is rigidly secured upon assembly of the componentswith any suitable adhesive material. The opposite end members of theframe 13 are identified by the numerals 17 and 18. The frame member 17is recessed at the top, as illustrated at 19, for a purpose which willbecome apparent hereinafter. The frame member 18 is notched as at 20 fora purpose which will become apparent hereinafter.

Securely mounted in the frame 13 there is a substantially rectangularplate or base 21. The plate or base 21 is fabricated from a magnetizablematerial, preferably soft steel. The plate or base 21 is referred tohereafter as a magnetic reinforcing member, with the reason therefor tobecome apparent hereinafter.

The magnetic reinforcing member is preferably wholly retained within theframe 13 to which I prefer to secure it by means of a suitable adhesiveapplied between its edges and the frame 13. When it is disposed withinthe frame 13, the integral apertured lug 22 is accommodated by the notch20 through which it extends outwardly from the housing 10 as illustratedin FIGS. 1 and 2.

A pair of waffle magnets 23 and 24 are mounted in spaced relationshipwithin the frame 13. The Wafile magnets are of a type polarized so thatthe opposite poles of each thereof are aligned through the thickness ofthe material, rather than longitudinally of the magnetic material as ina conventional magnet. I prefer that the faces of the magnets 23 and 24which rest against the magnetic reinforcing member 21 be suitablycemented to the face of the magnetic reinforcing member. The dimensionsof the magnets 23 and 24 are such that they snugly fit within the frame13 by which they are partially retained as illustrated in the drawings.

In the disposition of the magnets 23 and 2 on the magnetic reinforcingmember 21, the poles of each magnet are disposed in the same directionas the opposite poles of the adjacent magnet. That is to say, the Northpole of one magnet and the South pole of the other magnet are eachsecured adjacent the magnetic reinforcing member 21 while the South poleof the one magnet and the North pole of the other magnet are disposed atthe opposite faces of said magnets. By mounting the magnets in themanner described, the magnetic field of each is enhanced many times overthe original force of the magnets alone so that the magnetic forcecreated along the adjacent edges of magnets 23 and 24 is multiplied manytimes over unaugmented attractive or magnetic force of the magnetsalone.

What 1 refer to as an attracting member 25 is secured within the frame13 on the face of the magnet 24- in any suitable fashion evident tothose skilled in the art. The attracting member 25 is fabricated of anysuitable magnetizable material, well known to those skilled in the art,such as soft steel. The attracting member is preferably rectangular incross section with a slightly larger area than the face 31 on which themember 25 is mounted so that it slightly overhangs the magnet asillustrated in FIG. 2. The thickness of the attracting member 25 is suchthat it is preferably retained within the frame 13 when the componentsare entirely assembled. It will be appreciated, of course, because ofthe -material from which it is fabricated, that the attracting originalmagnet to which it is affixed, to be developed along its exposed edge32.

What I refer to as a magnetically attractable member is represented bythe numeral 26. The attractable member 26 is provided with an aperturedend lug 27, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. Theattractable member 26 is fabricated of a suitable magnetizable material,well known to those skilled in the art, such as soft steel. Theattractable member 26 is slidable over the exposed face 28 of the magnet23, and when the device is assembled the attractable member 26 may beinserted and withdrawn through the recess 19. In use, as the attractablemember 26 slides across the face 28 of the magnet 23, a magnetic fieldis set up therein with its polarity arranged opposite to that of theattracting member 25. The area of the attractable member 26 is slightlylarger than the face 28 so that there is a slight overhang, asillustrated in FIG. 2. Thereby, as the attractable member 26 is slidover the face 28 toward the attracting member 25, it is magneticallydrawn toward engagement with the edge 32 of the attracting member into astrong magnetic grip.

By providing a retainer, such as chain 29, which is adapted to hold asingle key (not shown) and which is mounted in the apertured lug 27 asillustrated in FIG. 2, and by providing a retainer, such as key ring 30,mounted in the apertured lug 22, one can connect all of his keys (notshown) to the single housing or body'ltl. A key or keys (not shown)desired to be frequently removed from the rest may be mounted on thechain 29. By exerting outward force on the lug 27 by pulling thereonhard enough to overcome the magnetic attraction between the members 25and 26, the attractable member 26 may be removed from the body orhousing 10 through the recess 19. When it is desired to reassemble thedevicethat is, to put the keys (not shown) on the chain 29, togetherwith the keys (not shown) on the ring one need only to insert theattractable member 26 through the recess 19 over the face 28 with aninward push toward the attracting member 25, and upon engagement of thetwo, members 25 and 26 are locked together.

As many changes or substitutions could be made in the above describedconstruction, and as many apparently widely different embodiments of theinvention within the scope of the claims could be constructed withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit thereof, it is intended that allmatter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpretedas being illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A holder for keys and the like comprising an openended housing; amagnetic reinforcing member secured in said housing; a pair of magnetssecured on one-face of each thereof to said reinforcing member andspaced from each other, the poles of each magnet disposed in the samedirection as the opposite poles of the adjacent magnet; a magneticallyattracting member secured to the opposite face of one of said magnets; amagnetically attractable member removably mountable on the opposite faceof the other of said magnets, whereby the magnetically attractablemember can be pulled from an open end of said housing.

2. A holder for keys and the like comprising an openended housing; amagnet reinforcing member secured in said housing; a pair of magnetswith one face of each thereof disposed against said reinforcing member,said magnets spaced from each other, the poles of each magnet disposedin the same direction as the opposite poles of the magnet adjacentthereto; a magnetically attract ing member secured to the opposite faceof one of said magnets; a magnetically attractable member removablymounted on the opposite face of the other of said magnets, and a lug onsaid magnetically attractable member and extending through an open endin said housing whereby the magnetically attractable member can bereplaceably removed from the housing.

3. A holder for keys and the like as defined in claim 2 in which thehousing has only two open ends, and further characterized by a ringholder secured in the open end of said housing opposite said lug.

4. A holder for keys and the like comprising a housing having a pair ofopen ends; a magnet reinforcing member secured tn said housing andhaving a first lug extending outwardly of one of said open ends; a pairof Waffle magnets of substantially uniform thickness secured in saidhousing in adjacent positions with opposite poles disposed adjacent saidreinforcing member; a magnetically attracting member secured on the faceof one of said magnets opposite said reinforcing member, and amagnetically attractable member removably mounted on the other magnetagainst an edge of the attracting member, said attractable member havinga second lug extending outwardly of the other of said open ends wherebythe attractable member can be replaceably removed from the housing.

5. A holder for keys and the like comprising a housing having a pair ofopen ends; a frame having an end member provided with a notch thereinand a recessed end member and secured in said housing; a magnetreinforcing member secured in said frame and having a lug extending fromsaid housing through said frame notch; a pair of Wafile magnets securedto said reinforcing member with opposite poles disposed adjacent to saidreinforcing member; a magnetically attracting member secured on the faceof one of said magnets opposite said reinforcing member; and amagnetically attractable member releasably magnetically secured to saidattracting member and withdrawable and insertable into said housingthrough said recess.

6. A holder for keys and the like comprising an openended housing; aframe secured in said housing; a pair of wafile magnets secured in saidframe in spaced relationship With their poles reversed; a magneticallyattracting member secured to a face of one of said magnets; amagnetically attractable member removably mounted against the edge ofsaid attracting member; a key retaining member operably secured at oneend of said housing and a key retaining member secured to saidattractable member, whereby one key retaining member may be optionallyremoved and reconnected to the other thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,615,227 Hornik Oct. 28,

2,637,887 Goddman et al. May 12, 1953 2,654,929 Feibelman Oct. 13, 19532,975,497 Budreck Mar. 21, 1961

1. A HOLDER FOR KEYS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING AN OPENENDED HOUSING; AMAGNETIC REINFORCING MEMBER SECURED IN SAID HOUSING; A PAIR OF MAGNETSSECURED ON ONE FACE OF EACH THEREOF TO SAID REINFORCING MEMBER ANDSPACED FROM EACH OTHER, THE POLES OF EACH MAGNET DISPOSED IN THE SAMEDIRECTION AS THE OPPOSITE POLES OF THE ADJACENT MAGNET; A MAGNETICALLYATTRACTING MEMBER SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE FACE OF ONE OF SAID MAGNETS; AMAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE MEMBER REMOVABLY MOUNTABLE ON THE OPPOSITE FACEOF THE OTHER OF SAID MAGNETS, WHEREBY THE MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLEMEMBER CAN BE PULLED FROM AN OPEN END OF SAID HOUSING.